


Sometimes nostalgia isn't So Bad

by Sapphiremoonlight1



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: AU, Aiball week free day, Angst, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Implied/referenced OD, M/M, Why isn't Ai & Ryoken a tag - Freeform, updated tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:21:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22580026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphiremoonlight1/pseuds/Sapphiremoonlight1
Summary: Ai hadn't been completely honest with the other version of himself and Yusaku but it was for the better. Why ruin their happy ending with his sob story?
Relationships: Ai | Ignis/Fujiki Yuusaku, Ai/ignis & Kogami Ryoken, Homura Takeru/Revolver | Kougami Ryouken
Comments: 5
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Aiball week 00- Free day
> 
> Edit: One of these days i might edit this so it fits with the other two chapters...and the tenses make sense lol.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was safe to assume they both thought they'd somehow been caught by one of the rogue copies. Opening the door and finding themselves on the inside of a gleaming food truck with too painfully familiar faces staring back at them was not what either of them would have expected.
> 
> Tags updated and apply to ch. 2  
> I say implied because those tags are heavily implied but it's up for debate what really happened.

When he opened his eyes, he was greeted with the sight of an eerily familiar metal room.The second thing he noticed was Ryoken squeezed into the tiny room with him. Weren't they on the way back to the mansion? Had something gone awry when they logged out leading them to end up somewhere else?

In that case why did the minor details of the room feel familiar?

He's not going to find the answer sitting here shoved into a wall. Might be, a good idea to wake Ryoken up too. The man will be on his case if he leaves without him.

“Wakey, Wakey,” He says quietly, better safe than sorry in case Ryoken wakes up and tries to throw him into the wall. It wouldn't exactly injure him, but it would make the other man grumpy knowing he'd done something rash. After a few gentle shakes he stands up and backs into the wall as much as he possibly can.

“What have I told you about waking me before my alarm?” Ryoken groaned, eyes still hazy and trying to focus on the room. Didn't take him long to figure out something was off with their environment. Almost immediately the other scrambled up the opposing wall of the cramped room. “Ai where are we?”

'Let's find out,” he replies, reaching for the metal door in front of them. A quick twist of some data and the door opened without resistance.

It was safe to assume they both thought they'd somehow been caught by one of the rogue copies. Opening the door and finding themselves on the inside of a gleaming food truck with too painfully familiar faces staring back at them was not what either of them would have expected.

Honestly, he never thought he'd see those poison green eyes again. Without thinking he jumped on the imitation, holding them close so they never leave him again.

“Ai, what's going on? Why were you in the VR with?”The ghost stopped short of actually saying Ryoken's name, seemingly unsure about the man who came out of the room with him.

“Let him go Ai,” Ryoken lowly urged placing a hand on his shoulder in reassurance. He let go of the ghost knowing it wasn't going to disappear. “Alright, how about we all go sit out there and work things out”

It was tightly packed in the truck for them to all fit comfortably. Him being closest to the door flunk it open.

Funny who would have thought he would ever miss the smell of hot dogs? In his surprise at seeing one ghost, he almost completely omitted the other. In his defense he was biased towards the first one more. Hot Dog man was great, but he wasn't his partner. Still it's bittersweet to see them both especially since the vendor looks younger than he'd been last time Ai'd seen him.

It would also be nice if the man stopped glaring at him. He hadn't done anything by the looks of the courtyard. Yet, they don't know what is actually going on here.

“Alright Ai what is going on here?” Kusanagi asks folding his arms as he takes a seat next to Yusaku.

“We were on our way home when something must have gone wrong, leading us to end up in your truck,” Ryoken skillfully answered for him. They'd round up a particularly odd copy when they'd woken up here instead of in their living.

“Second question, who are you?” Kusanagi asked this time glaring at Ryoken.

“Ryoken Kogami,” the other states flatly. Neither are surprised that the Kusanagi expected a definitive answer on who Ryoken was, the man always had the appearance of an old man but he'd grown into that look over the years.

“You were on your way home with him?” Kusanagi questions pointing from Ryoken towards him.

“Yes,” he agrees, watching the look of shock on the other ghosts face. It hurt seeing him like this. But he's not a ghost, is he? This Yusaku still had a beating heart and air in his lungs. His was cold and in the ground far from his reach.

“As I said I think something got crossed and we ended up here.”

“Yusaku?” Kusanagi says sounding alarmed cutting the other off. Unexplained tears were making their way down Yusaku's face scaring the vendor while Ryoken looks over at him sadly before sighing.

“You should go wait in the truck; I can work things out with them on my own.” It was less of a command and more of suggestion but he obeyed anyway. It'd been so long he'd forgotten about that little side effect of his link sense, their link sense, this Yusaku was still here watching him get up and walk away still blinking off tears. Out of habit he turned back towards them put on hand over his heart and gave them a slight bow before spinning back around.

The other side of the truck should be far enough away. He wouldn't want Ryoken to have an aneurism searching for him if he wandered off too far. Poor Ryoken still is playing action hero into his golden years. Strange how life has turned out for them. Who would have thought the old Hanoi leader and him would venture around like chums.

“Ai,” called the voice he'll never get used to hearing again. His electronic heart did a little stutter hearing his name being called.

“Yes?” he calls back eyes roaming over the old courtyard towards Yusaku.

“What was that?”Yusaku demanded crossing his arms.

“Our link sense, argh mine,” he replies shrugging. The intense look on the other's face forewarns him he's not going to get away with being that answer.

“What? That what it was, I forgotten that could happen, I'm sorry”

“Then what happened to break your heart so much?” Yusaku asked, losing the intensity he had before.

“Don't think I can tell you that with the butterfly effect and all that,” he says. A broad grin on his face to help make his point. But he can't keep it up, not when seeing this Yusaku kept making him think back to the day he found his partner on the floor cold.

He jerked his head trying to get the image out of his head to look back at the ghost. Yusaku looked like he was trying to keep from crying again.

“Why don't you go back with them?” Yusaku was about to reply when Ryoken came around the side of the truck.

“So Kusanagi has politely offered to let us stay with him while we figure out how to get home, come help check over the VR room,” Ryoken explains before turning back around the side of the truck. He didn't need Ryoken already knew he'd go along without complaint. Hastily he followed after him leaving the ghost to stare through him from behind.

Eventually, Kusanagi and Ryoken briefed him to wait outside while they worked on the room since all three of them couldn't fit. He ended up strolling around the area of the courtyard reminiscing about when their world had been like this. It was pleasant to admire the sunset.

As it was setting, the two popped out of the truck. Kusanagi was going to need some time to explain to his brother why he brought the two home so they needed to go home early. Yusaku walked up again as they worked on putting away the chairs and stuff in the truck.

“Ai come home with me,” Yusaku stated flatly. His partner never had a romantic bone in his body, did he?

“Ah how sweet, but I wouldn't want to impose in your cramped apartment,” He counters, folding the last of the tables away. Kusanagi looked like he was going to add something but Ryoken murmured something Ai couldn't hear to him and they both pretend like Yusaku and Ai weren't there.

“Please,” Yusaku pleaded lowly looking away from him.

“Aww, fine, I never could argue with you could Ai?” he jokes. Ryoken signals from behind Yusaku to contact him if anything comes up before dragging Kusanagi away. They're both in for a long night then.

“Let's go.”

"Okay there is no way you are not making this up," Kusanagi says in disbelief. He could handle Ai going batshit crazy after Yusaku passed away leading to a bunch of rogue copies of the idiot wreaking havoc.

He could not handle the idea of Takeru and Revolver having any kind of relationship let alone being married.

"Yeah, funny how life works out," Ryoken says smiling at the silver and red ring that was hanging around his neck.

"How are either of you not dead?!"

"Why did you bring a hobo version of me home?!" screeches his counterpart in this world. He doesn't care if he looks like a hobo, he'd got used to it after being trapped by himself for so long. It took Takeru and Ryoken a long time to persuade him used to being around other people again.

Yusaku ignores the accusation instead going right for what he wanted to know.

"Ai what do you know about link sense?" Yusaku asks the little purple creature expectantly.

"That's kind of vague, want to start with something smaller?" the other Ai peeps nervously.

"He wants to know why he's become empathic around me," He comments from his place far away from both of them. It was a little weird being back here.

"What!" his counterpart exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm in too many pieces to keep that from happening."

"What do you mean you're in pieces? Other than the horrendous taste in clothing, you look fine!"other Ai questions moving the duel disk he was inhabiting some. That was so limiting.

"I mean, I'm missing parts of me because things went wrong in my world,"he says hopping the glare got his point across that he didn't want to talk about it.

"One of you needs to explain now," Yusaku demands.

"Fine, our link sense connects us, it was how we tracked you in the beginning," he points between himself and the version of him in Ignis form before pointing at Yusaku and smiling sadly "but it can go farther than that, meaning you can feel how much of a miserable lump I am" that last part was made as a joke but the other two in the room didn't appear to see it that way.

"Lighten up, it's not something either of you need to worry about," He adds plopping onto the couch to get comfortable.

Yusaku shrugged and went off to his room for something, giving his counterpart to float the duel disk over to him and stare at him accusingly.

"So you're going to tell me what's going on?" the copy asks wiggling it arms down into the disk like he was trying to put them on his hips.

"I told you most of it," he replies using a finger to gently nudging him away. "The rest you don't need to know."

"You know why I'm asking." the counterpart accuses trying to pilot the disk closer to him.

"Oh, you're still bothered about those simulations aren't you?" He'd forgotten about those. It has been a long time.

"If you need to know my husband passed away decades ago." Good thing the android had decent reflexes because it seems the shock made his counterpart lose focus enough for it to start falling.

"I'm sorry," both his counterpart and Yusaku said it. He could hear his partner say it from behind him. His copy disappeared from the disk so he was placed on the table before turning back to Yusaku.

"It's fine, It was a long time ago," he says. The copy came flying down the stairs to glump Yusaku before the other could reply.

"Yusaku!" Poor guy was being squeezed by a bawling, whining android. Things are definitely different for these then it was for him and his husband even if he can see himself doing the same thing.

Though this unlucky version of Yusaku had to spend the night with an android draped all over him. Until he fell asleep at least. They were all still in the living room; Yusaku laying in this Ai's lap asleep while the copy plays with his hair while he flips through pointless channels on the tv.

"What was your wedding like?" the counterpart asks quietly, still playing with Yusaku's hair.

"It wasn't much of one. It was some friends and us," he says putting on some random outdated sitcom.

"I never thought we'd go that route even if he returned my feelings," the other Ai whispers glancing over at him.

"I didn't either but it happened. Things will turn out differently for you two then it did for us," he replies smiling again when he sees Yusaku peeking up at his Ai. Yeah, things will be different for them.

"Ai, you already basically asked me to marry you once and I gave you an answer when I recovered you," Yusaku adds laughing at the speechless copy.

The android didn't need sleep, but it did require time to cool off so it worked as sleep for him. Tomorrow he would go back to his life with Takeru and Ryoken in their dystopian future but for now he felt at peace.


	2. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ai hadn't been completely honest with the other version of himself and Yusaku but it was for the better. Why ruin their happy ending with his sob story?

“Yusaku! You're loving and fantastic partner has returned!”Honestly he wasn't expecting the brood to come flying down the stairs into his waiting arms but some kind of acknowledgement of his presence would be nice. 

Ai somehow managed to swallow his pride and allow himself to think it was possible for them to live together in peace. So he started worming his way back to their apartment inch by digital inch. Really, It was lonely in cyberspace and he missed grumpy 'ol Yusaku. 

It might not be possible for Yusaku to forgive him for any of the things he's done but Ai plans to keep trying to make amends for it for the rest of their lives. He's not going to lose his nerve now!

Though he was expecting to be chewed out for being an idiot when he waltzed into the apartment but the only reaction he received was the sound of the door shutting behind him.

The old apartment still looked like it was lived in or as lived in as a hermit that doesn't leave his computer could leave it. 

“Yu-chan are here or did Kusanagi drag you outside for some sunlight?” He called walking towards up the stairwell that lead into Yusaku's room. “If you're out that means I can make this an extra special surprise! Ooh maybe get some balloons and streamers to brighten the place up a bit.” He was just chatting to fill the empty feeling the place gave off. The building was eerily quiet back then but with no Roboppi buzzing around it was completely silent. One could almost hear the gears inside the Soltis creaking inside it in the silence.

Eventually, he stopped in front of the closed bedroom door and knocked, “Can I come in or would that be a little too forward of me?” 

No response still so Ai opened the door slightly to peak inside the room. Then stumbled to the ground in utter disbelief and fear, the door swinging back around hitting him didn't even register in his horror. 

“Yusaku! Oh Fuck, Yusaku?! Can you hear me? It's me Ai your idiot partner come back to you,” he screams willing his stubborn heavy limbs to crawl over to Yusaku's fallen form making a note of a few odd little white pills on the floor with them. 

Ai jumped to check for a pulse first only to feel no sign of movement under his fingers. Then he shifted them both around a bit to see if he could hear if Yusaku was still breathing but no his chest stood completely still, there was no air being pushed in or out of it. Terrified and panicking he tried cpr but couldn't keep it up, he knew it wasn't doing anything for Yusaku. His partner was already gone. He was to late to make things right. 

Ai just pulled up the lifeless form and held it close desperately hoping by some miracle he was still alive and wept loudly cursing whichever of their creators let this happen.

Being trapped inside a metal cage meant he was unable to shed real tears like another human could but that didn't stop his frame from trembling in agony or his keep his voice box from fraying out due to the wailing he couldn't hold back. 

Time froze for him again and this time he didn't want it to start again he just wanted it all to stop, for real this time. 

Ai's not sure how long he stayed curled up like that and he wasn't going to check. All he knew was the sun had gone down at some point the room was steadily getting darker and the light on his neck brighter. 

The Soltis however could see in the dark, so he didn't need light once he finally managed to stand up. Carefully as if not to hurt Yusaku anymore he laid him down on the nearby bed and tried not to break down again before looking for Yusaku's phone. He could easily alert the police himself but he decided to ring Kusanagi instead. Over the last year or so Ai's kept a tract of Yusaku interactions with everyone else hoping to see some improve in the hermits social interactions but it slowly started to feel like his partner was withdrawing from the world.

He dialed the vendor and waited to hear the surprised groggy voice of Kusanagi, “Yusaku? Did you have a nightmare? Is everything alright?”the concern in the man's voice made him want to start dry heaving again somehow he found his voice anyway. 

“Not quite Hot Dog man.”

“What..., ah Ai!” poor guy's mind must be going into overdrive getting a call from him this late. What an unfortunate way to be woken up.

“How? Why? Where's Yusaku?Is he alright?What's going on?”Instead of answering Ai disconnected the calling knowing the man will coming running over to see if everything was okay. Numbly he ignores the increasingly frantic calls in favor of alerting an ambulance to come before walking outside to wait for either it or Kusanagi to arrive. 

Somehow the EMTs arrived first so he directed them into the apartment and allowed them go about their business without hassle. He was answering some question when a familiar truck came speeding into the complex. 

Kusanagi sprang out of the truck and ran over to him in time for the EMTs to finish packing Yusaku into the ambulance and take off. 

“Ai what's,” the vendor was cut off by an arm full of distrough android. 

“I'm sorry Kusanagi. I was too late. He's gone and I..,”Ai mutters and he could feel the man tense up at his confession. 

“What?”

“Yusaku's dead!” Ai's fist twisted in the man coat as he got angrier at himself for not coming back sooner. All that wasted time mopping only for the worst to happen anyway.

At some point the man managed to pry Ai off of him enough to get them both in the truck so they could follow the ambulance to the hospital. It was easy to tell the man was in a state of disbelief over what was happening and the doctor reaffirming the worst didn't seem to help him much. But Ai was too busy drowning in his misery to be able to help him. 

Soon enough they were both at the funeral. Kusanagi had Ai stay with him and Jin while the arrangements were put in order. Ai, however, had not intentions of staying once the service was said and done. 

Everyone showed up to pay their respects to their fallen friend. Even Ryoken came and kept oddly silent about his presence in the crowd of mourners. The suspicious looks he sent him were also kept to minimum the whole time until events started winding down and people who didn't know about Playmaker left. 

Every now and again it seemed like he wanted to say something to Ai but kept quiet. Ryoken wasn't the only one being quiet around him. Takeru had barely said much to him all evening. Whether it was because the other was upset that Ai was still alive instead of either Flame or Yusaku, Ai wasn't sure but he wouldn't blame him for it. 

Consequently he wasn't planning to be for long. Ai kept tracked of the copies left behind in that warehouse. The majority of them were still there. One or two were taken by Sol staff to study. There was no way Queen would look that kind of gift horse in the month. If there was even the smallest trace of something sol could use in their coding she wanted them to find it. Too bad he's a vindictive program and would never let that happen. 

Politely he excused himself to go out for a walk by himself when Kusanagi asked if he wanted a ride back to his house. No thanks he'd rather get it over with sooner than later. 

“Don't worry Kusanagi I'll be there later, I just want to walk around a bit.” Despite clearly wanting to drag Ai with him, the vendor let him go in peace. 

Time started to blur a lot after that. Almost in a blink of an eye he was standing outside that warehouse he'd commandeered not that long ago. Somehow Sol hadn't increased the place's security system all that much either. It was a piece of cake to walk in and go unnoticed to the easily manipulated camera. It was however not as easy to sneak passed Ryoken's obsessive gaze. The Hanoi leader came running in time to catch the Soltis falling soltis as it increasing loss power and he increasingly lost awareness. 

“Ai! What the fuck have you done?”

Who would have guessed having his free will ripped apart would be a slow agonizing process. Or slow from his perspective. The Copies were quick to blink to life revealing their gold iris. 

By some act of divine punishment, enough of him was left behind for Ai to vaguely comprehend what started to happen around him. 

He was aware of the copies trying to gang up on Ryoken perceiving him as some kind of threat to them until the man managed to escape their reach. 

He was aware of them arguing amongst themselves about what to do about humanity. They are based on him after all so a few were against harming anyone but were quickly dismissed and reprogrammed. 

He was aware of them taking him deeper and deeper underground, likely an old bunker and leaving him there with no way to connect to the outside world or the digital one. 

There Ai stayed a crumpled lump of useless android, unable to move until someone broke into the bonker. More than someone, there were two people bickering about what to do with him but he couldn't make who it was at this point. 

Still whoever it was, one of them managed to convince the other to help lift the Soltis so they could take him with them. Not before one of them did something to finally render him completely unconscious before lugging him away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was basically how the story was supposed to go but i wasn't sure how dark I was allowed to make it so I edited out the darker implications. I do want to write another chapter where Ai, Takeru and Ryoken fool around in their dystopia before Ryoken and Ai find their way into the alternate reality.
> 
> Honestly I just want to write Ai officiating Takeru's and Ryoken's 'not' wedding. Then after that I'm going to take a break from Vrains and work on something else.


	3. Live and Learn

10%

“Are you sure there's actually something down here? This junk looks like it belongs in one of those grainy old documentaries,” Takeru complains before trying to kick one of the consuls. The flash light he had been holding makes a loud echoing noise as it hit the tile floor. 

“Aw! Fuck! That hurts!” 

Why did he decide to bring Takeru along again? Oh, right, he needed some brawn...if only they came with a little more brains but he's got a thing for idiots apparently.

Still a valid question considering the other man was currently holding onto the foot he slammed into a solid metal object while hopping around on one leg muttering various colorful swears. They were deep in some old abandoned bunker, who knows if doing something like that might set off some kind of alarm.

“What were you expecting to happen?” Ryoken challenges glaring at the idiot.

“I was expecting it to be hollow like they were in movies,” Takeru groans trying and failing to glare back at him. Hard to do when you're wincing in pain and hobbling around. 

“What's supposed to be down here anyway?

“I don't know but the Intel my knights collected says those AIs are hiding something important down here. Now could you focus on the task at hand or not?”He snaps harshly. Normally he would have more patients with Takeru, but they're miles below ground in enemy territory and it was only him and Takeru down here. They could easily be overwhelmed, captured or worse. 

“Yeah, yeah let's just keep looking for 'something important',”Takeru replies grabbing his flashlight off the ground. In a few seconds he was keeping step with Ryoken who'd walked back into the hallway they were in previously. 

Silence fell between them again as they tried as many doors as they could find. Room after room they found nothing. What would those absurd A.I. Even store in a place like this? Nothing digital that's for sure, the power in the area was cut a long time ago and any backup generators definitely weren't functional. 

Takeru stopped to peer into another random room, “Hey, Ryoken I think I found something.”

'Snap'

Knowing the other man as well as he did, it was safe to assume Takeru didn't intend to take the door off its hinges but it fell off its hinges and almost smashed the sheepish looking idiot before he set it against the adjacent wall. 

He gestures for Ryoken to be quiet before shining his flashlight into what was probably an old office. There was a large desk off on the other end and a few bookcases around the walls. 

“Look,” Takeru whispers directing the flashlight at something up against the wall behind the old desk. Something that glowed under the yellow light. Something they were all too familiar with. It was that gaudy gem the A.Is used to wear before they started going their own ways. Attached to it the rest of a Soltis with AI's original design. It can't be can it?

“Do you think it's still active?” 

Ryoken doesn't answer him instead he creeps closer to it for a better look. None of those Ais have kept Ai's old appearance, not like this one did and if his theory is correct they might found the idiot himself after all these years. 

“Help me pick him up,” he asks bending down to get a better look at it, him. 

“What?! Are you out of your mind, what if this is a trap and that thing is still active?!”Takeru exclaims looking at him like he's lost his mind. 

“Your shouting will alert them long before he does, now help me get him out of here.”

30%

'Ai!'

“Ahhh!” he jolts awake dazed and a little freaked out by what or whoever had been calling him. Almost immediately it was clear to Ai he has other more important matters to figure out. Like how he ended up staring at someone's ceiling? There's something not right about it's lack of cracks or cobwebs. 

Wherever Ai is, he isn't lounging around in cyberse world anymore. 

As if his bad luck couldn't get any worse he blinks a few times but can't manage to wiggle out some limbs or do much else but change how his single eye appears. He's been whittled down to a single eyeball and trapped in some outdated piece of technology. Unfair! 

“Looks like you're finally awake, now we can get started on things. Good morning Ai,” spoke a familiar voice, he just couldn't place it. The guys smug smirking face looming over didn't help the sense of familiarity. What does he know? The weirdo might just be someone he's seen online somewhere.

Ai tries his best to glare at the man instead of giving him the satisfaction of an answer or as close to glaring as his little eye could do.

“If you don't want to talk. I can just keep searching through your programming.” 

“Epp! Okay, what do you want? Who are you?”Guess something Ai said surprised the man because he steps back with his eyebrows scrunched up before turning back to the computer Ai was hooked up too.  
Which hey! Rude! What did he do to deserve this kind of invasion of piracy?

“Interesting, it seems you splitting yourself up had a different effect then cracking dragon eating you did...” The stranger ponders sitting back in his chair. “Hmm.”

For a split second Ai's programming must have glitched because he could have sworn he saw someone else in the man's place. It was too fast and it was probably a blip caused by whatever his captor had done to him. It just increases his need to freak out on the weirdo!

“What the hell are you talking about? Who are you?” He starts. 

'Knock, knock' 

The bedroom door creaks open a few inches and a new stranger glides into the room balancing a plate in one hand and a glass in the other.

“Dinner,” The new comer calls smiling softly at the other man. Until his eyes land on Ai. The stranger places the plate and glass down and frowns at him. Then looks back to Ai's captor. 

“I still think you should have put it a roomba.”

“Pandor rope you into making diner again?” The first replies. Blatantly ignoring the insult to his hostage's sentience. Well if that's how it's gonna be, fine.

The new stranger and the newcomer do something that makes that gives him the same feeling an error message would. They share a tender kiss and it makes him wonder why he's so off put by these two. Might just be the fact they're holding him hostage. 

“No, I reheated what was left over from earlier.Thought it was time you took a break.” The stranger replies pulling back. 

“Thank you.”

Something about the way these two are interacting is surreal and off putting. Some part of him says there should be more friction and hostility between them for some reason. The soft looks are making him feel queasy. 

“Your welcome. I'll let you get back to, that,” The new comer says glaring at Ai before turning to leave the room. What did Ai ever do to him?

His captor turns back to him looking somewhat apologetic, “Don't mind Takeru, he's still upset about something that happened a while ago.” 

Ai blinks then tries giving the other an accusatory glare in return, but it was safe to assume as an eyeball he's less threatening than a kitten. The weirdo even has the gull to laugh at him. 

“You know, I have no idea how he used to deal with you when back then. It's ridiculous to converse with an eyeball that scrunches himself up trying to look angry.”

“You know you still haven't told me who you are?!” Ai shrieks. 

50%

His life if you could call it that only got weirder after that first encounter with Ryoken and Takeru. The latter would talk nonsense at him while fiddling around either on some project or in Ai's coding.Which, major invasion of his privacy! But Ryoken scuffs at his complaints and Takeru simply rolls his at him. 

Some increasingly loud part of Ai keeps telling him something isn't right with that dynamic. It should be the other way around! Takeru should be the one chatting with him while Ryoken begrudgingly puts up with him. There's not bases for that feeling at least none that he could find but if Ai wants to believe Ryoken's rambles then he knows them both fairly well. He just missing the parts of his data with those memories. 

If it wasn't for the fact Ai has been living his life for the last few months as a trapped eyeball, he wouldn't have given it as much thought as he has. Being stuck on what he considers an autopsy table for androids didn't help his recent bout of introspection. 

Ryoken and Takeru would place one of the table next him. Fiddling with different wires that connect to the duel disk he's stuck in, the computer Ryoken works on, and the usually in pieces android. Putting up with the weirdness gave his captor enough time to work on his programming enough to give him his limbs back! So he's not going to complain about the eeriness. Too much at least. 

While Ryoken's away with some creepy guys in white Takeru sneaks into the room and disconnects the old disk.

“Come on,” Takeru says Snatching him to off the table and then failing to avoid being noticed by the people he passes by. “I've got something to show you.” 

He hasn't been outside this room in months! But this isn't how he imaged it would happen. The man currently holding him hostage is viable to try to smash him to pieces while Ryoken isn't looking.

“You're not going to chuck me off the roof are you?”

“No, Ryoken would have a fit if I did that,” Takeru replies glancing down at him before ignoring Ai's existence the whole trip up a really, really long, spiraling staircase. Could this place be less of a villain's lair? The place even has goons hanging around! They would come in and disrupt their dear Revolver regularly, even going so far as to call him master! 

What kind of bizarre anime did he wake up in?! 

His grumpy companion doesn't exactly seem like a goon or even a right-hand man though. He always calls Ryoken by name and argues with him about stuff openly and sometimes viciously. Then there's the few times Ai's watched them be all sweet and coupley until they remember he's still in the room and get awkward. It would be funny if he wasn't stuck there!

“We're here,” The man says flinging open a set heavy door open at the end of the steps. He walks them across the rooftop towards the edge and sets him down before leaning over the edge himself. “Look.” 

Excited to see the sky again Ai scans looks over the surrounding area. Sinking feelings of regret and despair sink in instantly for a reasons he can't place. The building they were currently standing on along with a few others were all walled off from an otherwise deserted city. Complete with collapsed buildings, abandoned cars and the other wildlife that shouldn't be there. The exception being the odd buildings off in the distance. 

“That jerk doesn't want me to tell you what happened, but I figured I see what kind of reaction I get out of you anyway,” Takeru says stilling gazing out at the ruins. “He says you don't even remember us.”

“There you are, I've been looking all over for you,”Interrupts a new man barging onto the roof, “Guess the rumors are true, you did run off with Ryoken's latest project.”

Just when Ai's starting to think most of the people in this building were masked weirdos this old man shows up. Well older, Ryokens still looks ancient comparatively. 

“You should see what Ryoken's latest project is,” Takeru replies flinging the duel disk at the other man. The disk he's still in by the way!Still the man manages to catch him before he hits the ground despite the surprise. 

“Ai?!” The man asks staring at him. Ooh another stranger that knows his name. 

“That's right I am Ai!” He says popping out to give the man a salute then stops mid way. 

'You should name him.'  
'Hmm He's an AI and an eyeball, call him Ai.'

Ai freezes up confused. Okay, that's weird. So he was lazy named like a pet someone didn't want, ouch. But he still loves his name despite that.

“As far as Ryoken says it doesn't know very much,” Takeru replies strolling up next to them. The older man grimaces back at him.

“Takeru it's,” The stranger tries but Takeru cuts him off with a wave, “Kusanagi don't I know. Ryoken's told me a hundred times but it doesn't change anything. You can spend some time with it if you want, though. Spectre's expecting me to help rough up so newbies.”

Like that he walks off leaving him with this new stranger! Why did he even do to deserve being snubbed like this?

“Guess he still needs some time to cool off,”The man sighs and then looks at him, “Anyway, I'm Kusanagi it's nice to meet you.”

60%

Ai likes the new guy Kusanagi. The man is a nice break from his other two captors.Always pleasantly joking around. Even Ryoken seems to enjoy including him in whatever they've been doing with those androids they've been bringing in. Plus the two have been nothing if not diligently working Tinker, Tinker, Tinker all day and night until. 

Ryoken and Kusanagi decide gang up on him and his much tinier then them self. It's not fair! 

“Eep! Hey wait!” He exclaims as one of them sneakily puts the duel disk in sleep mode sending him off into the Ai trap Ryoken set up to keep him from running off. 

Stupid hackers always trying to nip him...That's where Ai knows them all from. Freak, he's been snared by the Hanoi! How did he not remember that particular detail!The one about the guy and his entire organization dedicated to finding and murdering him. That leaves the question as to why Ryoken hasn't done so yet and has been more than civil with him while Takeru hates him?

Why were Takeru and Kusanagi working with them?Ai really did wake up in some bizarre anime.It's the only way to explain anything that's going on. Only he's missing something, or someone important to their merry band of weirdos. 

Someone that left an ache in his coding. Someone stand offish and cold and out for revenge but too damn heroic for his own good. His partner in crime, Playmaker,..

“Yusaku!” He bolts up right screaming and then shrieks again once he human/android limbs waving around instead of his little purple ones. Ai slams back down on to the table before bouncing back to ogling his latest cage. Eh, at least now he's stuck in that ratty old duel disk anymore.

“Seems like your memory has improved. Can you tell us what you remember?” Ryoken asks watching him cautiously. Takeru's off at his side on guard like Ai would act them. Standing off to their other side Kusanagi shrugs. Good to know at least he hasn't changed much. 

“Enough to want to know why Takeru hates me so much! I thought we were on the same team and you too Kusanagi! What happened to the hot dog wagon? Where's,” he yells stumbling over the last part of sentence but they seem to understand what he was going to ask. 

“He's dead,” Takeru replies flatly. It comes out cold and detached like it's just another fact and it shakes Ai to hear him sound like that. 

“Takeru,” Kusanagi mumbles glancing over at the now grown version of their ally. Were they all still on the same side? Takeru's standing here siding with the man he once wanted to throttle. 

“It's been a couple of decades,” Takeru back. 

“Someone want to tell me what's going on!?” Ai demands sliding off the table interrupting whatever argument was going to start between the two. As much as he wants to enjoy the feeling of being taller for once, he's more concerned with the insanity going on around him. Takeru scuffs and shoves passed him walking out of the room without another word. 

“It would help if you told us what the last thing you remember is,” Ryoken replies watching the door close behind the other man with a grimace. 

“All of you should be a lot younger and Takeru shouldn't hate me, at least not this much. I remember helping Playmaker with Bowman. How did that end by the way?” Ai asks. How did they go from that to Yusaku's dead and it's been two decades. 

They other two frown and exchange weird looks before Kusanagi speaks up,“You don't remember being the bad guy? You spent a while threatening to follow in Lightning footsteps. Yusaku ended up the one to beat you and stop whatever it was you had planned. He didn't' really get into details about it, but we assume it had something to do with the copies considering what you did after you know.”

Ai's immediate reaction is to back away in disbelief until he bangs into the table behind him. Why would he follow after Lightning? He believes in the idea of AIs living with humans.“You're lying! There's no way I could turn on you guys!”

“I still have the footage saved of you threatening Zaizen,” Ryoken states matter of factually, “I can show you if you want though I wouldn't recommend it.”

Ai grips onto the metal table behind him for support. He doesn't' want to think that he capable of doing something like that. Of hurting them, hurting Yusaku in anyway.“I would never!”

“As far as I understand your relationship, you were using Yusaku just like he was using you,” Ryoken replies still unfazed by what he's saying. 

“No! I love him. It started off that way, but things changed I could never,” Ai mutters. If the android could cry, he feels like it might at this point.

“Yeah, well, something happened to change that, and you ended up masterminding some plan involving multiple copies of yourself that you eventually activated. Those copies destroyed our world,” Takeru says standing in the door way glaring at him. 

“I...I..,” he's at loss of words from what they're saying. There's no way this can be happening. 

Ryoken sighs and steps closer to Ai, “What they did isn't on you but them existing still is. I've put you back together, so you can help us stop them.”

“What could I do?” he sniffles glancing sheepishly at the man. 

“For now you can get used to being here. Being now,” Ryoken says offering him a hand, “Otherwise you're about as unless as you were when we found you.”

It's a too much for him and the android decides it's going to make up for his physical inability to cry by shaking uncontrollably. Everyone else in the room sighs again at his turmoil. 

“Takeru, when he pulls himself together, can you show him around? Kusanagi and I have other things we need to work on,” Ryoken says walking towards the doorway. 

Maybe this Revolver is still trying to kill him? It's the only explanation for him telling Takeru to do this. Kusanagi follows soon after leaving him alone with Takeru. 

“Why do you hate me?” he asks quietly finally glancing the man. 

“I hate the copy of you who kept me locked up for a couple of years. It's easy to project that on you after what you put us through with that suicide mission of yours...both of them,” Takeru answers glaring at him. 

“The past two decades have been nothing but us trying to survive and fight back against the AI you created because you were afraid your existence would lead to this scenario...Yusaku told me about the simulations, yet somehow the world still ended up like this because of you. I just hope Ryoken is right about you being useful to us.”

70%

Time to find out if their new resident clown can be of any use to them. Ai for all his natural friendliness and charisma is pariah among the Hanoi, survivors and everyone else in the little compound they call home. 

He gets to stand back and watch the poor guy try and ultimately fail to interact with people. It would be funny if it wasn't so sad. Despite him essentially destroying their world Takeru still has a soft for the AI. That however, isn't going to stop him from holding off on welcoming the idiot like nothing happened. Not until he has a better idea of what's going on with the him. 

They've been hunting for the perfect copy too.This one seems to model itself after lightning and enjoys the making itself and its minions run around in gaudy clothing. Made them easier to disguise them from the rest which is great because they are the ones most likely to try to murder them out right or much worse. Considering what it did with Jin it's hard not believe that one isn't at least part Lightning. 

“Hey little one how are you today?” Ai tries asking one of the kids running outside next to them and is swiftly ganged up on by the rest of the children. All of whom proceed to punch and kick him to the ground. He's more than willing to go along with it out of fear of scaring everyone else around if he fights back. 

“That's enough, let him up,” Takeru chides shooing the kids off. A few take the opportunity to get in one last hit before scurrying off. 

“Ow, Little demons,”Ai huffs dusting himself off. 

“Yeah, well. You ready to go?” 

“Don't really get a choice in that do I?Either way yeah let's go,” Ai replies scanning over the courtyard. Everyone's eyes still on him watching closely.

“No. Not really. Not unless you want to go back to being just an eyeball,”Takeru remarks ,”Come on you're coming with Aoi and me. I'm sure she'll love to see you.” The change in Ai's demeanor from mildly curiously to abject horror is quick. 

“Oh, god, don't tell me I did something to her too!” 

When Takeru stands there silently he freaks out again muttering to himself about AI hell and bad anime. 

“He's not going to do that the whole time is he?” Aoi asks coming up next to him with Pandor in toe. They are quiet the duo these days.

“There's a good chance of it. Ryoken says he doesn't remember past what happened with Bowman and Lightning so everything after is news to him,”Takeru remarks watching their pouting companion kick dirt at the indignity of his situation. 

“In that case he's going with you. Pandor's coming with me.” Aoi say and she would probably toss Ai off the first bridge they came across. 

“Yeah, I figured as much.”

“Cool! I didn't think Den City did turbo duels!”Ai squeals studying, more like manhandling Takeru's shiny red bike. 

“We don't, but we need to get around and it's the fastest way to get out of a bad situation,” he explains. Takeru will kill Ai if so much as scratches his bike. It took him ages to fix it the last time something happened. 

“But they are programmed to speed duel,” Aoi adds gesturing for Pandor to join her. Ai glances at Pandor who smiles politely at him. 

“It's nice to see master Revolver finally let you out.” 

Aoi giggles before reeving up to speed out. Once Ai gets settled on the bike, they take off after them. The excited howling and occasional flailing form behind him aside it was good to feel the breeze and be out in the sun. If only he could get that stubborn mule to come out with him more but dear master Revolver had to stay locked up. The Hanoi can't have their leader die running around doing tasks deemed below him.

Thankfully Takeru and a majority of people weren't considered Hanoi. If anything they were a separate group working with the goons that flocked to Ryoken just as the world started going south. Well, Aoi, Kusanagi, Zaizen, Go, and anyone else who were suspicious of guys in weird masks and white cloaks. Even Ryoken thinks their dedication to the getup is strange. 

'I swear its not my idea.' 

“Hey Takeru I know you're day dreaming about your darling Ryoken but you're going to run them over if you don't stop,” Ai says jabbing him in the shoulder. 

“No I am not but if you distract me I might!” He growls as he starts coming to a stop. 

“Cutting it a little close aren't ya?” Ai Jokes swinging himself off the bike. “So what are we doing anyway?”

“We're scouting around for copies of your copies...They multiply like rabbits!” Aoi explains twitching slightly thinking about it. 

“Okay, so why don't you call them something else? It has to get confusing calling them that.”

“Usually Soulburner and Blue Maiden refer to them as idiots. Master Revolver usually just angrily refers to them as them,” Pandor offers. 

“Okay next question, Who are you?” Ai says poking at Pandor only to get repelled. 

“I am Pandor. Master Revolver designed me to counter you once upon a time. Somehow I sense you're still as guarded as then,” 

“Great just what I need another empathetic AI with a thing for the color blue,” Ai groans then turns an accusatory figure at him and Aoi. “Speaking of a certain blue Ignis, where are Aqua and Flame? I don't know how that battle ended, and Revy doesn't want to tell me!”

“Gone,” He and Aoi reply flatly. She looks like she wants to slap him upside the head and he doesn't blame her. If the old Soltis they stuck Ai in could register physical pain he would have done so by now. That didn't mean Ai himself can't feel things in other ways. 

Ai seems to have stop functioning for a few seconds. He's been standing staring vacantly at them long enough for Takeru to start wondering if Ai shut down or something. If he doesn't so much as blink soon Takeru's going to throw him on the bike and take him back. 

Ai hangs his head and replies, “I see. Let's start searching then” For once in the few weeks Ai's been allowed to roam around he's utterly silent. It is unnerving to say the least. It got eerier once they split up leaving Ai and him. 

“Takeru, I think someone is nearby,” Ai whispers tugging on his shirt to get his attention. 

“What?” he questions turning around. 

“One of them's around the corner.” Truthfully Ai looks freaked out by whatever was happening with him. 

“Ooh, I spy with my little eyes something old. Think it's about time you recycled that hunk of junk,”cackles the high-pitched voice of one, of the more Ai like copies. This one at least kept his color scheme and sense dramatic flare.

The oddball jumps out a window over their head and twirls around the light post before landing in front to them grinning.

“Hey look here pal I'm vintage! Not old.” Ai counters crossing his arms indigently. 

“In that case it's true then, you're the original come back to help these anti-AI idiots. Someone said they found your useless pile of wires almost a year ago,” It says studying Ai. 

“I'm not useless,” Ai huffs but the copies rolls its eyes and pulls out his duel disk. 

“Uh, huh sure,” It says pulling out its duel disk. “Decode Talker finish this fake!” With a quick flick of the copies wrist the Ai is at the end of a sword he helped create.

“What the hell!? Why Decode Talker of all monsters?!” Ai screams pinned to the side of a building on the side of the street. 

“Well some of us happen to feel attached to these old cards you know,” The copy replies smugly. Its true, they've found a good number of them with various cards Playmaker used to have. Well the original copies tend to have them. The rest not so much. 

“They're not your cards!”Ai yells trying to push Decode Talker's sword out of away. 

Takeru's not sure if he wants to laugh at the absurdity of the situation or put an end to the bickering. Or record it and show it to Ryoken later, he'd probably get a kick out this. Unfortunately, a horde of Trickstars got in the way of his shot. 

“Hey! I'm not the bad guy put me down!” Ai shrieks struggling to get out of the hold of Holly Angel. 

“Hey! I'm not done with that worthless piece of junk!” The copy yells trying to get away from Foxglove Witch. 

“Oh when I get my hand on you!” Ai shouts back. 

“Soulburner are you alright?” Pandor asks joining him in watching the spectacle. Aoi on the hand was enjoying a much more up close and personal view of them arguing back and forth. There was no way she's going to let them go anytime soon. 

“Bloom, bring them down here please. Oh and Holly bring him too.”

“I resent being manhandled like this,” Ai whines. Somehow Holly Angel managed to flip him around and hold him like a bride. 

“I'm surprised to say this, but I agree with that idiot,” the copy echos. It though, isn't as lucky. Foxglove Witch seems to enjoy pounding him on the head with her staff. 

“Yeah, well your going to tell me all about why your so far away from your little bubble or so help me I'll give you a reason to complain,” Aoi says with a smile.

She's gotten scary in the last few years since Miyu disappeared. Takeru should probably interfere and save Ai from her wrath or he might have to face Ryoken's when they come home with two broken androids. He really doesn't want to room with one of the goons for the next week. 

“Aoi can I have the one we're not supposed to destroy?” He asks approaching them slowly. Best not to get between her and them. 

“Oh, yeah, sorry wouldn't want Revolver to have you sleep outside again,” She jokes turning to him. 

“That happened once! And it was because he did give me the new code to our room,” He counters. It happened once and no one is going to let him live it down...

“Wait! So you and Revy are actually a thing?! When did this happen? Last I checked you wanted to beat him into the ground,”Ai asks when Holly let's him go. 

“No”

“Yes”

“We are not a thing.”

“Yes they are, they're just too emotionally stunted to get over the awkward phase,” Aoi says rolling her eyes. “I have a hundred bucks on Takeru being the one to do something stupid and romantic in public first.”

“I'll bet you two hundred I could get them both to!” Ai offers. “You should see how sickeningly sweet they are when they forget I'm in the room.” 

“You're on!” 

“Blue Maiden I think your hostage is trying to escape,” Pandor says interrupting to point at the copy trying to sneak away down an alleyway. 

“Oops I'm on it, Holly go get 'em.”

85%

“I'm guessing he was useless right?” Ryoken asks watching Aoi and Ai huddling off in a corner snickering about whatever evil plot they have in mind. She sure warmed up to him quickly. 

“Pretty much. Aoi beat that one up pretty badly. I'll be surprised if you can get anything out of it.”Takeru replies watching those two run off together. 

“I won't need to now that Ai's mostly functional. It'll save me hours of coding and the headaches from hearing him complain about personal space.”

Actually did he ask about the arc system yet? I can only manage how much chaos one of the Ignisters appearing here would cause,” Ryoken inquiries glancing at him. 

“No, he and Aoi spent the rest of the time scheming.”

“What have we done?!"

“While they collected the broken bits of android, Aoi and Ai went off chatting with some of the other people who watched them come back. They seem to see Aoi' warming up to Ai as a sign they could start approaching him. What did that say about Ryoken and his relationship to them?Considering they were the ones to show Ai around.

“I guess you and me can go enjoy a few hours of relaxation then?”Ryoken offers with a grin.

“Who are you and what have you done with Ryoken?” Takeru replies wondering if he's the one in the wrong timeline.

That being said, Ryoken's idea of relaxation is putting on a movie and completely ignoring Takeru for hours while he's on the computer working on something. Damn workaholic. 

“You can quit glaring at me I'll be done in a few minutes.” Ryoken says completely focused on his computer screen. 

“Yeah, yeah, you said that about three hours ago,”Takeru whines throwing a pillow at him. 

“If you're bored, you can go find out what those two are planning,” Ryoken replies with eyes still somehow glued to the screen despite the pillows coming his way. 

“Or we can interrupt you!” comes Ai's voice from the doorway. “Or well, Ai can. Aoi's a little busy right now.” 

“Do we want to know?

“Oh I promise it's nothing bad,”Ai says waving off their concern and walking into the room. They should really learn to lock that door. Especially with Ai around, he's liable to walk in at the wrong time.

Outdated as Ai's soltis is he can still drag them both out of bed and down the hallway without much effort on his part and a lot of resistance from them. 

“Stop squirming so much I swear you'll enjoy it!” 

“Eh, huh sure,” Ryoken says dragging his feet until he stumbles when Ai shoves them through the doors of one of the larger event room while it's still dark. He pushes them all the way to the other end of the room before someone switches the lights on. 

They're standing next to a makeshift altar in front of room full of goons and anyone else Ai and Aoi roped in. She's standing by the light switches grinning evilly at them while Kusanagi and Spectre stand off to the sides of each of them respectively. 

“What's going on here?”Ryoken ask looking at the crowd. 

“What the hell?!"Takeru shouts at Ai.

The crowd laughs at them while Ai takes his place in front of the altar still holding them in place. They're not going to be able to run from this.

“Alright we are gathered here to celebrate the union of dear Revy and this angry ball of fluff,” Ai announces playing part of their wedding officiant. 

Takeru stutters a few times not able to process the liberties Ai's taking here and then looks over at Ryoken's completely mortified expression. The guy could give the highlights in his hair a run for their money with red he is. 

“Ai!” Ryoken shrieks causing everyone to flinch. 

“Yes Revy?” 

“What the hell?”

“Oh!That's right, I'm missing something!” Ai says patting around his various pockets searching for something. Until he finally whips out a couple of rings.

“Kusanagi and Zaizen helped me find these. This wouldn't be a complete ceremony without rings!”

“Ai, enough I told you before we're not, you know,” Takeru mumbles but Ai raises a hand to shush him, 

“And everyone in this room is tired of you guys pretending like you don't love each other so either do this now or while you don't really have another option.”

“You want us to get married under duress?” Ryoken points out. 

“Maybe not married but you two need the kick in the rear,” Kusanagi comments from behind him.

Without think Takeru mutters the one thing, he shouldn't have, “I Do,” and tries to correct the situation when Ryoken stares at him like a gaping fish. “Takeru?”

“Would it really be that different then where we are now?I mean we literally have lived together for years and yet we try and apparently fail to sneak around like high schoolers,” he says trying to ignore the noding crowd. 

Ryoken scowls at them for a second before turning back to him, “I do but I'm not being married off like this! I will do this my way!”

“Aww, in that case I pronounce you Idiot and fiance. You may kiss your idiot and then debate which is which,” Ai jokes giving them some space. 

“Aren't you skipping the rings?” Spectre pipes up still standing behind Ryoken as stoically as ever. 

“Oh right! Here you go.”

Ai hands them the rings and disappears into the crowd of juvelent well wishers getting up to swarm them. A few hours pass before Takeru notices he slipped off. Can't be help once someone turned his wedding...engagment party into a real party where people wouldn't stop telling them how happy they were for their dear leader...Takeru's starting to think the Hanoi might actually be cult and Ryoken's the unwitting idol. With their lifestyle it makes sense. 

Still it's awkward as hell to be around a hand full of them. A whole room full of them interrupting him and Ryoken were a pain in the ass. So he left his newlywed idiot to fend off his knights while he goes looking for their runaway officainat. 

After checking a few rooms and most of the first floor, someone says they spotted him heading outside. Finally, he catches a glimpse of purple shaking against the building furthest away from the one everyone's off partying in. 

“Ditching your own party?” Takeru calls once he's close enough but he might as well have been talking to the air. Maybe Ai didn't hear him.

“Technically it was mine and Ryoken's but you throw it to get us together. Even if we already are but hey everyone needs a break anyway so it's a good excuse.” Then the reason Ryoken tells Takeru he's slow strikes him. It shouldn't have taken him this long to figure out Ai isn't out here shivering from the cold, the damn android doesn't feel cold! The idiot's out here hiding in the dark as close to crying as he could get. 

Oh, great what happened now. This dramatic of a mood swing doesn't make sense even for him. 

“Ai?” he asks placing an a hand on the androids shoulder and Ai quickly pushes him off.

“Go away Takeru. I know you still hate me and rightfully to,”Ai hisses not turning around. Takeru isn't in the mood to deal with this right now. He snatches the idiot's ridicous vest and starts dragging along him this time.

“Hey, let me go,” Ai pleads not really trying to get away. Huh, he really must be afraid he'll hurt them if he fights back.

“No I've got something to show you,”Takeru says heading towards the back of their hideaway, They've been here long enough for them to establish a memorial, graveyard, whatever they want to call it for the people who've died. 

“Why are we back here?” Ai asks scanning around the marbles lined up around them. 

“Here I'll show you,” Takeru replies tugging him over to the first stone. He points to the one name Ai should know better then his own. 

“Yusaku,” Ai gasps taking a few steps back but Takeru's grip on him isn't going to let him get far. 

“Technically in all the chaos the original graveyard got destroyed, but we consider him the first victim in this mess. Guess who Ryoken put as number two?”

Ai stares at him blankly. Short on patience he moves his finger along the right side over a long series of numbers and symbols trailing all the way to the ground that Takeru couldn't understand if he tried. 

“Me? Why would Ryoken include me? All of this is my fault,” Ai mutters frowning at him. 

“But it's not. The gamble on the copies you created is on you, but what happens since is on them. You're not...”

“No!” Ai shrieks pushing him back. He hit the front of an unmarked stone behind them pretty hard. “It's my fault Yusaku is dead, It's my fault those damn copies exist and my fault the world ended up like this...I told Yusaku this would happen if he let me live!” Like that Ai collapses in on himself trying to block him and the rest of the world out. 

“You know I might not be able to hold a grudge against you for what those copies do, but I can hate you for being selfish. Taking it from me, Living sucks sometimes but at least if you're alive you can make up for what you did! That's why Ryoken's been so damn lenient with you! He sees himself from all those years ago in you and wants to give you the chance Yusaku wanted us to give him,” Takeru explains wincing some as he stands back up and walks over to the curl up idiot. 

“Only Yusaku ultimately stopped Revolver,” Ai counters. 

“And he stopped you the first time and considering how codependent you guys were he would have stopped you over and over again if he could have,” He says glancing into a dark far corner where Ryoken has security cameras installed and smirks at it to keep from laughing. They can't really judge when it comes to codependency considering he's probably being watched by Ryoken right now. Twenty years and the man has yet to kick his stalking habit. 

“What am I supposed to do? The other Ignis are gone, Yusaku is gone and all but maybe five people here are afraid I'm going to lash out and murder them!” Ai shouts looking up at him. Takeru figures he must have found the rest of his memories in the android while everyone else was off partying and it's all too much for Ai to process at the moment so he offers to help the trembling idiot up. They've got a long road ahead of them. 

“You've got free will. What you do with it is up to you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to stop this here otherwise It'll just keep going and this is a good place to stop considering Ai's not supposed to be complete.  
> This actually turned out lighter than I thought it be. Totally a good thing, Ai and Aoi teaming up on Ryoken and Takeru is just great.

**Author's Note:**

> Somewhere in a far away place Takeru sneezed wondering if someone was talking about him.
> 
> So this on is going to be separate because it long. Also I'll probably look over it again later.


End file.
